Nerac

The staircase on the way to the market place.

 We didn’t know what we were getting into going to Nerac, we just liked the sound of the name. (Talk through your nose, kinda squeeze your throat, then say Neewrack, sounding the wr deep in your throat.) It helps if you remember Billy Crystal talking like a French person in When Harry Met Sally.  Anyway…..off we went to Nerac. It was a different direction out of La Romeiu than we had taken before. The land really opened up into rolling hills with lots of farming, though most of the fields were fallow for the fall. There was a large co-op for seed crops, newly built and very modern. Several new houses were being built along the way, although there was on which looked like it had been started last year and never gotten back

If you looked down from the top of the staircase, this was looking back at you.  The French do such fun things with plants and flowers.

We entered the town through entirely new construction. Now we were getting concerned. A turn toward the centreville alleviated our fears. There in the middle of the road was a large staircase with a chateau off to the side. People were everywhere with market baskets; all headed toward the stairs. We found a park in the Credit Agricole lot. (Credit Agricole will be my bank if I ever live in France. They have never charged to use their ATM’s even before it was the law in the EU.) The market was busy. The largest one we had seen in the southwest. But this was Saturday and we were leaving on Tuesday morning, so we didn’t buy anything. Except the Paella in the posting before this. And my new basket.

Panarama of the Castle of Henry II

The chateau was built by Henry II. Turns out he was one of the better Kings of France, really looked out for his people. He built roads, schools, water works, allowed protestants to worship openly, didn’t start wars with his neighbors; all around nice guy. Unfortunately, a crazy assassinated him. Go figure.

After Bill downloaded this picture, he noticed the little boy peeking out from the back of the monument.

Being Saturday, everyone was out and about, including the circus. Round and round they went through the centreville, with loud speaker blaring. It must be a law that all circuses play the same BIG TOP music. Yeah, that one, you know which one I mean.

The circus is coming to town!

There will be Salsa dancing afterwards!